1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for beer, juice or tea, which is formed of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel, and more particularly to a container which is capable of being reduced in a longitudinal direction (the container volume is decreased) when the contents thereof have been consumed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been an expansion in the manufacturing of such types of metal containers. However, when the juice or beer contained in the container body has been consumed and the container is to be disposed of, the container body still has its original shape, and even in a rare case when the container has been trampled under foot so as to reduce its volume, as illustrated in FIG. 18, a container body (1) retains panels at both sides (top and bottom sides). As a result, the size of the container body is substantially the same as it was prior to the contents being consumed, and when this container is thrown in a so-called trash can, it is as if air was being discarded into the trash can and it becomes full very quickly. As a result, these containers are often thrown on the streets and that causes deterioration of the living environment. Also, a labor cost for collection of these container bodies becomes a huge burden on public works.
In addition, these metal containers are manufactured by a simple means from very thin sheets of aluminum or stainless steel, but when they are subjected to strong vibrations of motor vehicles or transporting means, or when the containers are stacked in a storefront display, their strength is insufficient.
Further, when these containers are transported from a container manufacturer to a bottler, since the container bodies are large, it is as if air were being transported. As a result, the proportion of the transportation cost of the product is quite high.
An object of the present invention is to make it possible for the volume of a metal container body to be greatly reduced after the juice or beer contained therein has been consumed and the container is to be disposed of, and thus a number of empty container bodies that can be accommodated in a trash can, is much greater than a limited number of empty container bodies of a conventional type which could be accommodated therein.
Also, another object of the present invention is to achieve a great reduction in a labor cost for trash collection by making it possible for a large number of empty containers to be transported simultaneously.
Further, when the containers are transported from manufacturers of the containers to bottlers, a number of containers that can be transported at once is increased greatly as compared to a number of the containers of a conventional type that could be transported at once.
Also, as described above, an object of the invention is to provide a container of which volume can be reduced when it is disposed of after the contents thereof are consumed, or when it is being transported. However, it is also an object to provide a container body such that when the volume thereof is reduced, the reduced state is retained for a long time or long period or up until the operation of crushing or melting is carried out for the purpose of recycling, without occurrence of a restoring force.
It must be noted that the overall shape of a metal container of the present invention is one suitably selected from all elliptical cylinder (FIG. 21A), a circular cylinder, a rectangular column (FIG. 22A), a truncated cone (FIG. 19) or a truncated pyramid (FIG. 20) an hourglass drum shape (FIGS. 21B, 22B, 23B) and a barrel shape. The shape of a horizontal sectional view is suitably selected from an ellipse (FIG. 11) a circle (FIG. 10), a polygon (FIG. 13), and a rectangle (FIG. 12).
Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to enlarge the surface area of the container, compared to a conventional one, on which a label showing contents, a trademark or the like is fixed or on which its contents or a trademark is directly printed.
It is also to be noted that the container is provided such that, as a drink container, the form of the exterior of the container body is esthetically pleasing, and thus appealing to consumers. Also a consideration is given to preventing the container from slipping and dropping while being used, and to preventing the contents from spilling. Further, the container is provided so as to be capable of remaining in the state of being reduced in its longitudinal direction and the present invention also proposes a method of reduction thereof.
A feature of the invention is that the outer periphery and inner periphery (2) of a container body (1) having a cylindrical shape are formed as accordion-shaped portions (5) including hill portions (3) and valley portions (4) having an annular shape in a horizontal direction.
Another feature of the present invention is that a diameter of one outer periphery configuration of the accordion-shaped portions (5) of the metal container body (1) is smaller than a diameter of other outer periphery configurations.
Another feature of the present invention is that a diameter of one outer periphery configuration of the accordion-shaped portion (5) of the metal container body (1) is smaller than a diameter of another outer periphery configuration, and the other outer periphery configurations are successively larger, with the lowest outer periphery configurations having the same diameter.
Another feature of the present invention is a that diameter of an outer periphery configuration of the accordion-shaped portion (5) of the container body (1), is smallest at a substantially central portion of said container body, and said diameter increases toward outer directions.
Another feature of the present invention is that the hill portions (3) and the valley portions (4) of the outer periphery configuration of the accordion-shaped portion (5) of the container body (1) are formed as alternating spirals.
Another feature of the present invention is that when a force is applied in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the horizontal or spiral accordion-shaped portions (5) which are along the entire length, or along a portion of the length in the longitudinal direction of the container body (1), a force acting in one direction is exerted on a part of an inner periphery and/or a fold constituting the accordion-shaped portion (5), and an opposing force acts on the outer periphery so that the accordion-shaped portions retain a state of being reduced in the longitudinal direction.
Another feature of the present invention is applying a force in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the horizontal or spiral accordion-shaped portions (5) which are along the entire length, or along a portion of the length in the longitudinal direction of the container body (1), and exerting a pressing force acting in one direction on a part of an inner periphery and/or a fold constituting the accordion-shaped portion (5) causing an opposing force acts on the outer periphery so that the accordion-shaped portions retain a state of being reduced in the longitudinal direction.
Another feature of the present invention is that the overall shape of the container body (1) is suitably selected from an elliptical cylinder, a circular cylinder, a rectangular column, a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid, and an hourglass drum shape.
Another feature of the present invention is the hill portion (3) of the accordion-shaped portions (5) formed at, at least the top of the container body (1) are configured such that an upper vicinity is slightly longer than a lower vicinity and said upper vicinity has an arc configuration (15).
Another feature of the present invention is that horizontal cross-section of the container body (1) is suitably selected from an ellipse, a circle and a rectangle.
Another feature of the present invention is that a label on which product contents, product information and trademarks are printed, is fixed onto the outer periphery of the container body (1).
Another feature of the present invention is that the container body (1) is provided with a tap portion which can be caused to protrude in an upward direction from a central portion of said container body (1), and horizontal accordion-shaped portion are formed at inner and outer walls of the container body in the entire length (height) direction or in a portion of said direction, and the diameter of accordion-shaped portion (5) is smaller at the top of the container body than that at the bottom, and the diameter increases sequentially as the bottom of the container body is approached, so that when force is applied in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the accordion-shaped portions (5), a force acts downward in the inner diameter direction of the wall of the upper accordion-shaped portions (5) and upwards in the outer diameter direction, and another force acts downwards in the inner diameter direction of the folds of the upper accordion-shaped portions (5) so that the accordion-shaped portions retain a state in which the length (height) of the container body (1) is reduced.
The foregoing and other objects, features and operational effects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the examples.